Control for a slush-ice beverage machine



@CO1 C R. T. CORNELIUS CONTROL FOR A SLUSH-ICE BEVERAGE MACHINE FiledNov. 9, 1967 l N VENTOR.

Nov. 12, 1968 /e/c//ARD Z-'d/eA/@Uag mba: ,@i :J ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,410,103 CONTROL FOR A SLUSH-ICE BEVERAGE MACHINE Richard T.Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to The Cornelius Company, Anoka,Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 9, 1967. Ser. No. 681,71811 Claims. (Cl. 62-136) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The freezing chamberof a slush-ice beverage machine has a rotatably driven scraper assembly,at one axial end of which is an independently supported claw-like torquesensing element connected to refrigeration controls. Means on thescraper assembly rotate within such claw-shape, scraper blades rotateabout such claw-shape, and a spinner rotates between the claw-shape andthe end of the freezing chamber independently of the torque sensingelement. The spinner rotates past -the inlet of a dispensing valve tokeep it clean.

BACKGROUND (l) Field of the invention This invention pertains to thecontrol of a refrigeration system connected to a beverage freezingchamber, such control being in response to the viscosity of the productbeing frozen.

(2) Prior art It has been known heretofore in the control of freezingchambers for producing a slush-type of beverage to sense the viscosityof the slush as a means for controlling the amount of water frozen outof the beverage. With prior devices, there has been a tendency for theslush to agglomerate in two manners. When fine crystals are produced, ifthey are agitated, they stick to each other to form a consistency muchlike sand. A Ifurther type of agglomeration takes place when a beveragecontaining such ice particles is agitated and mixed, such furtheragglomeration being in the nature of globs or snowballs. Where suchagglomerating takes place in the vicinity of the viscosity sensingelement, not only does the beverage tend to become nonhomogeneous, butthe accuracy of control is destroyed.

SUMMARY A torque sensing element is spaced at all points from a scraperassembly, and while gentle stirring of product is provided, there is noagitation or mixing. A faceplate provides the sole support for thesensing element which extends adjacent to the scraper blades, a U-shapedrod being carried by the scraper assembly and rotatable within thesensing element, there being an elongated spinner disposed between thesensing element and the faceplate and extending past the inlet of adispensing valve carried by the faceplate.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide acontrol for a slush-ice beverage machine which will not cause theproduct to agglomerate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitaryconstruction for a slush-ice beverage machine control.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a control kforslush-ice beverage machine wherein any tendency for agglomeration tobegin is positively overcome.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means thatform a part of the refrigeration con- B Patented Nov. 12, 1968 trol thatalso keep the inlet to a dispensing valve clear at all times.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the ar-t upon makingreference to the detailed description and the accompanying drawing inwhich a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles ofthe present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

ON THE DRAWING The single ligure is a side elevational View, partlybroken away and cross-sectioned, of a vcontrol for a slush-ice beveragemachine provided in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWING The principles of this invention areparticularly useful when embodied in a machine for producing Ianddispensing a slusheice beverage such as illustrated in the drawing,generally indicated by the numeral 10. The machine 10 includes a housing11 which has a cyilndrical internal surface 12 which defines acylindrical freezing chamber 13. The housing 11 is closed by itsconfiguration at the left illustrated end, and at its other end 14, thehousing 11 and its chamber 13 are closed by a faceplate 15 which is heldin place by a set of four screws, one of which is illustrated at 16.Product to be treated enters the chamber 13 through an inlet 17, andleaves the chamber 13 through a dispensing valve 1S which has an inlet19 at the inner side of the faceplate 15.

The housing 11 is provided with a refrigeration coil 20 which isconnected to a Arefrigeration system 21 whereby the lhousing 11 isexternally refrigerated to freeze out some of the water of beveragedisposed therein to form fine crystals, the resulting product having aslushy consistency. As water particles freeze out on the internalsurface 12, they are removed therefrom by the wiping action of arotatably driven scraper assembly 22, a portion thereof constituting apair of scraper blades 23, 23, The details of the scraper assembly 22form another invention, and so far as is necessary for the understandingof the present invention, it `should be explained that the scraperassembly 22 moves gently through the product without agitating it,providing -a slight stirring action to break up any channeling in theproduct without actually mixing the product.

The faceplate 15 is spaced at all points from the scraper assembly 22,and in the axial space therebetween, there is provided a torque sensingelement generally indicated at 24 which is also spaced :at all pointsfrom the scraper assembly 22. The torque sensing element 24 includesL-shaped finger means, the illustrated embodiment havin-g tive suchngers of the same size arranged in the manner of a claw with fa uniformangle between each of the L-shaped lingers, each such finger beingindicated by the numeral 25. Considering one of the L- shaped lingers,its Lshape has a leg 26 which extends radially from a shaft 27, and asecond leg 28 secured at one end to the outer end of the leg 26, the leg2S extending in a direction which is parallel to the axis of the shaft27 and terminating in `a lfree unsupported end 29. Each of the otherfour legs 25 is identical to the one described and they jointly `definea claw-like arrangement having a `central hub 30. Preferably, the iivelinger means 25 and the hub 30 are molded as a single piece, -an-d athreaded insert or reducer 31 is provided in the hub and which issecured to the inner end of the shaft 27.

The shaft 27 is supported intermediate its ends by a bushing 32, and bya bearing 33 carried in such bushing 32. The -bushing has a pair ofO-ring seals 34, 34 which prevent leakage along the outer surfacethereof, while a further O-ring 35 surrounds the shaft 27 at the innerend of the bushing 32 and is held in place by a plastic washer 36disposed between the hub 30 and the inner end of the bushing 32. Thewasher 36 is of a plastic that has good lubricity properties, such asnylon or tetraiiuoroethylene. Thus the faceplate provides the solesupport for the sensing element 24.

An arm 37 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 27 and forms part ofa refrigeration control means for regulating the refrigeration system21. The upper end of the arm 37 extends into a bifurcated end 38 whichforms part of one arm 39 of a bell crank 40 which is pivoted at 41 andwhich has a second arm 42 which controls an electric switch 43operatively connected to the refrigeration system 21. The bell crank 4t)is biased by a spring 44, the degree of such `bias being selectable by amanual adjustment means 45. The spring 44 so biases the bell crank 40that the switch 43 keeps the refrigeration system 21 energized. When theviscosity of the beverage increases, the torque sensing element 24 ispivoted slightly to move the arm 37 and the bell crank 4t) against thebias of the spring 44 to actuate the switch 43 to a position where therefrigeration system 21 is shut down.

The rotatably driven scraper assembly 22 moves through the product sosmoothly that there is very little tendency to cause the product torotate. Its typical rotational speed is 100 r.p.m. In order to keep thesensing element 24 clear of any agglomeration and also in order totransmit thrust thereto, there is provided means secured to the scraperassembly for rotation adjacent to the sensing element, such means inthis embodiment comprising a U-shaped torque pulsing rod generallyindicated yat 46 and secured to an arm 47 of the scraper assembly 22.The U-shaped torque pulsing rod 46 has a pair of leg portions 48, 48which extend parallel to the leg portions 28 of the sensing element, anda leg portion 49 which extends in parallel relation to the leg portion26 when aligned therewith. The U-shaped torque pulsing rod is thereforedisposed within the various L-shapes of the fingers 25 and is disposedaxially between the scraper assembly 22 and the faceplate 15.

Between the faceplate 15 and the claw portion of the sensing element 24there is provided means which rotate, such means being in the nature ofan elongated spinner 50 which is rotatably supported on the outercylindrical surface 51 of a portion of the bushing 32 that projectsaxially into the chamber 13. The bushing 32 thus spaces the spinner 50from the sensing element 24 while enabling it to rotate between the legs26 and the faceplate 15. The elongated spinner 50 is of such length thatits distal ends 52, 52 can be engaged by the scraper blade 23 and bethereby positively driven. This spinner thus further transmits torque tothe legs 26, to aid the leg portion 49 of the torque pulsing rod 46.

The spinner 50 also rotates immediately past the inlet 19 of thedispensing valve 1S, and thus clears the zone just upstream of the inlet19 from any agglomeration that may be present. If desired, a projection53 may be provided thereon for this purpose, To balance its weight andto enable the spinner 50` to be installed with either side confrontingthe valve inlet 19, a similar projection is carried on the other end.The spacing between the projection 53 that is directed toward thefaceplate 15 and the valve inlet 19 is relatively small, and is in anyevent a distance which is less than the diametral size of the inlet 19.

The scraper assembly 22 is secured by a bayonet connection 54 toarotatably driven shaft 55 which rotates continually. In use, the chamber13 is entirely filled with liquid beverage initially, any trapped airbeing vented by a manually controlled vent valve 56. When the product inthe chamber 13 is all liquid, there is no significant torque transmittedby the various moving parts to the pivotable torque sensing element 24.As ice begins to form, it is removed from the inner Wall 12 of thehousing 11 by the scraper blades 23 and floats about in the remainingliquid to provide a homogeneous drink. If the ice particles for a givenpercentage of ice were relatively large, this would not materiallyaffect viscosity. However, the ice particles are kept as small aspossible since they are not agitated, and therefore since the crystalsare very, very small, the product progressively becomes viscous andserves to transmit force from the moving parts 46, 23, to the clawportion of the sensing element 24 until the selected force or level isreached. This terminates refrigeration, but as the driven shaftcontinues to rotate, when the viscosity decreases due to melting or tothe addition of fresh product, the refrigeration system is promptlyturned back on. With this invention, there is no tendency of the productto snowball or agglomerate, and thus the structure is one that needs noattention, enabling the mechanism to be utilized in unattendeddispensing machines of the coin operated type wherein the dispensingvalve 18 is electrically actuated.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versedin the art, it should Ibe understood that I wish to embody within thescope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonablyand properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A machine for producing a slush-ice beverage, comprising:

(a) an externally refrigerated housing having an internal surfacedefining a cylindical freezing chamber;

(b) a rotatably driven scraper assembly supported therein for acting onsaid internal surface;

(c) a faceplate closing an end of said chamber and axially spaced at allpoints from said scraper assembly;

(d) a torque sensing element spaced at all points from said scraperassembly and having a shaft pivotally supported intermediate its ends byand extending through said faceplate, said faceplate providing the solesupport for said sensing element, said element having L-shaped fingermeans, one leg of the L-shape being secured to said shaft and extendingradially therefrom and the other leg of the L-shape extending from saidone leg in parallel relation to said shaft and adjacent to a portion ofsaid scraper assembly, and terminating in a free end; and

(e) refrigeration control means connected to said shaft.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said portion of said scraperassembly is at least one scraper blade.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein a U-shaped rod is secured tosaid scraper assembly, said U-shaped rod having leg portions disposedwithin the L-shape of said finger means, and respectively parallel tothe legs of said L-shape.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said U- shaped rod isdisposed in space axially between said scraper assembly and saidfaceplate.

5. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said portion of said scraperassembly is at least one scraper blade.

6. A machine according to claim 1, wherein an elongated spinner isrotatably supported for rotation about the axis of said shaft disposedaxially between said L-shaped finger means and said faceplate.

7. A machine according to claim 2, wherein an elongated spinner isrotatably supported for rotation about the axis of said shaft axiallybetween said L-shaped finger means and said faceplate, a distal end ofsaid spinner being engageable by said scraper blade to impart arotational force thereto.

8. A machine according to claim 6, wherein said faceplate supports adispensing valve having an inlet, an end of said spinner during itsrotation passing by said valve inlet at a distance less than the size ofsaid inlet for removing any slush accumulation therefrom.

9. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said finger means includes veL-shaped fingers of the same size angularly spaced from adjacent ones ofsaid fingers by a uniform angle.

10. A machine according to claim 6, wherein said faceplate has a fixedbushing extending into said chamber, said bushing receiving said shaftand providing its pivotable support, and said bushing being received bysaid spinner and providing its rotatable support, said sensing elementbeing spaced at all points from said spinner.

11. A machine according to claim 2, wherein said nger means includesseveral L-shaped lingers arranged in the manner of a claw, said scraperblade being rotatable about the outside of such claw, means fixed tosaid scraper assembly and extending into such claw for rotation insideof such claw, and rotatable means disposed between said faceplate andsuch claw and spaced from such claw.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,992,651 7/1961 Krofta 73-59 X3,069,866 12/1962 Dunn 62-136 3,298,190 1/1967 Harker 62-342 X 3,319,4365/1967 Wilch 62-342 X ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner'.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

